Dallas Morning News:
Did Nursing Homes Do Enough To Save Patients When Hurricane Harvey Hit? A Widow Wants Answers
Two nursing homes are once again under investigation by the state after they refused to evacuate during Hurricane Harvey and left frail residents wallowing in stinking, murky floodwaters. The state said it had initially closed its investigation in April when officials couldn’t reach staff members at the Port Arthur nursing homes because they haven’t reopened since the storm. But the Texas Health & Human Services Commission took a renewed interest in the facilities, owned by a Dallas company, after inquiries from The Dallas Morning News. (Emily and Branham, 8/23)

Stateline:
Public Health Vs. Private Property In War On Lead
It was a precarious situation here: There was lead in the tap water, and the city had a year to begin replacing an estimated 17,000 lead pipes or else face millions in fines. Barred by state law from spending public money on private property, Pittsburgh in spring 2017 — nearly a year after the lead was first detected in July 2016 — began replacing sections of lead pipe running from the water main to curbs, leaving the part of each pipe running from the curb into homes untouched. But officials noticed an alarming trend: lead levels didn’t fall. Instead, they spiked, in some homes to more than six times the amount allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Beitsch, 8/23)

Stat:
Dartmouth Misconduct Case Highlights Mistreatment Of Junior Scientists
The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice probably isn’t the most collegial of places these days. That’s because Dartmouth officials agreed with Samir Soneji, an associate professor at the New Hampshire university, that his colleague Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a leading expert on cancer screening and overtreatment, used data that belonged to Soneji and a collaborator in California in a subsequent publication without even a hat tip. (Oransky and Marcus, 8/24)

Dallas Morning News:
Measles Case Confirmed At Plano West Senior High School
One case of measles has been confirmed at Plano West Senior High School, according to Collin County health officials. Collin County Health Care Services said in a release Thursday that anyone at the school from Aug. 14 to 16 could have come into contact with the highly contagious disease and that it was reviewing individual cases of exposure. People who may have been exposed, even those who are vaccinated against measles, should monitor for symptoms of the disease — rash, fever, cough, runny nose and eye redness — until Sept. 6, officials said. (Steele, 8/23)

Boston Globe:
Measles Case Confirmed In Mass.; Others May Have Been Exposed At Logan Airport
State health authorities have confirmed a case of measles and are warning that others may have been exposed to the disease at Boston’s Logan Airport, among other locations in Massachusetts. In a statement, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said the individual who was diagnosed with measles at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center “was in a number of locations that could have resulted in exposures to other people.” (McDonald, 8/23)

California Healthline:
CalPERS Health Chief Wields The Power Of Data To Tame Costs
As prices for drugs and procedures soar, and health insurance premiums for employer-based and individual policies inexorably climb, more than are few people are asking: Is the health care industry spiraling out of control? Liana Bailey-Crimmins, a top official with California’s public employee benefits and retirement system (CalPERS), offered a simple response. “Yeah,” she said. (Leed Matthews, 8/23)

Reuters:
NY Health Officials Investigating Illnesses Linked To McDonald's Outlet
New York State health officials said on Thursday they were investigating reports of multiple illnesses potentially associated with a McDonald's Corp restaurant in Jamestown, NY. The state health department and the Chautauqua County Health Department said 22 individuals reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and on being interviewed 15 said they had eaten various breakfast sandwiches at the McDonald's outlet between August 4-21. (Sampath, 8/23)

The Associated Press:
Fertility Doctor Who Used Own Sperm, Surrenders License
A retired Indianapolis fertility doctor who lied about using his own sperm to impregnate possibly dozens of women surrendered his medical license Thursday to a state board that also barred him from ever seeking its reinstatement. After an attorney for Dr. Donald Cline surrendered his expired license to the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, the 7-member panel voted to prohibit the 79-year-old Cline from ever applying for a license in Indiana again. (8/23)

The Associated Press:
Officials Report Whooping Cough Outbreak In Central Delaware
Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of whooping cough in central Delaware. Officials on Thursday advised residents to get vaccinated against the highly contagious disease, also known as pertussis. Officials say the investigation began in June when they learned of cases of whooping cough occurring among Kent County’s Amish population. (8/23)

Miami Herald:
How And Where To Get Medical Marijuana In Florida
The Florida Department of Health Office of Medical Marijuana Use regulates and oversees where and how the drug is obtained. It also licenses Florida businesses to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients. Here are five steps on how to qualify for medical cannabis. (Madan, 8/23)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.